St. Louis Eats

Unlike the other places on this page, Eat Here St. Louis is not a restaurant or eatery. Instead, Eat Here STL is essentially a supplier to restaurants! Owned by Preston Walker, Eat Here STL provides distribution for lots of local farms to local restaurants. They purchase wholesale products including vegetables, fruit, dairy, grains, eggs, and more, from local farmers. They store these fresh products in their warehouse, which is located right off of Manchester Ave in St. Louis. Then, they deliver these products to restaurants.

Eat Here STL communicates two ways: 1) to the farms to figure out what they have and 2) to all of the chefs and other customers to let them know what Eat Here STL has in house. This fills a need for both parties. Farmers don’t always have the time, means, or experience to market their own products, deliver them, and build those relationships. So, Eat Here STL does that for them. For chefs, Eat Here STL is like an in house sourcing specialist. Many restaurants try to order directly from farms, but it is tough. Eat Here STL simplifies the process.

Owner of Eat Here STL, Preston Walker, spoke about his experiences.  

What was Preston Walker’s path to Eat Here STL? Walker received an undergraduate degree in chemistry and worked in the pharmaceutical industry for twelve years after college. He was disillusioned with his career and happened to find that Eat Here STL was for sale. Walker grew up on a farm and was always interested in that area- the local farm movement, supporting farmers, farmers markets, etc. He has found that working in a small self-run business requires a lot of work, however, it is incredibly fulfilling and well worth it. 

What are some of his favorite things about Eat Here STL? Walker loves the act of helping a farmer sell something they are having trouble selling or essentially making a farmer’s life easier. He feels emotionally connected to helping the farmers. The deck is stacked against farmers in so many ways, so Walker hopes to help them get their products to the market faster and easier. 

What advice does he have for undergraduate students interested in going into the food industry? One thing he feels often is overlooked is not seeing the needs of the people you are working with: not understanding the farmers. It is important to really try to understand the whole food environment. “I’m thinking about people who own start up business specifically. Understand who you’re dealing with. Understand how to best work with them: how to provide a service or a solution to them, rather than what they can do for you… [l0ok at everything] from a very broad perspective… It’s hard enough to find out what you want to do let alone what jobs are out there. From my experience… I had a degree in chemistry, and I still had no idea what I wanted to do.” Preston advises individuals to “find somebody that would be a good mentor in something you’re going into. Learn about what exactly is going on and honestly where the gaps are. Where can I create a business that will fit in well with those gaps? I think that is where my business sits. There was an unmet need for what we do.”

Songbird is a restaurant located on Chouteau Ave in St. Louis. Co-owners Chris Meyer and Mike Miller worked together in the food industry for a while before they wanted to start a new business. They saw a gap in the breakfast food market and owned a flat top, so they began playing around with what would be a good breakfast item people would enjoy. For five years, they had a set, small breakfast menu at the Tower Grove Farmers Market. Their sandwich had a universal appeal! Eventually, Meyers and Miller opened Songbird as a way to provide their sandwich year round.

What is one thing that makes Songbird so special? The food is locally grown and sourced! Especially after COVID-19 broke out, prices for locally grown food has soared. However, Songbird still remains true to their mission in supporting local, sustainable farms.

What is one of Co-owner Chris Meyer’s favorite aspects to Songbird? While working at restaurants at night prior to Songbird, Meyer’s loved how you would help people close out their day on a positive note. With Songbird being a breakfast eatery, it’s the opposite: you help them start the day in a great way! You provide people with good feelings and a super upbeat start to their day. With regards to the food industry in general, Meyer’s feels as though people in this field, especially those who made it through COVID, tend to be optimists because they will continue chugging along. Meyer’s says, “it’s a group of passionate people interested in bringing pleasure to people. A creative group. Food people will- whatever you need- they will help you with. They will jump in and just help out!”

Advice from Chris Meyer’s for anyone interested in going into the food industry: Meyer’s says to try to get as much experience as possible! She explains that most small businesses are by default a reflection of the people who open the business. Therefore, there is some element of those people that open the business. The more places you work, the more experiences you have with different people and personalities. This will help direct your interests and thoughts on food. Additionally, Meyer advises individuals to clarify their goals. Find something that syncs up with what you’re interested in, as some direction will help you in the long run.

Be sure to check out Songbird and try their famous breakfast sandwich- aged white cheddar on toasted sourdough with sea salt and honey on top!

Updates coming soon!